‘Elsbeth’: Carrie Preston on Elsbeth’s Relationship Twist and If She’ll Ever Get a Regular Partner After Kaya (Exclusive)

Elsbeth finally returned from its winter hiatus Thursday night, and star Carrie Preston spoke to PopCulture.com about some of the episode’s biggest moments.

In the midseason premiere, “Ol’ Man Liver,” Elsbeth went up against a wealthy biohacker, played by Hamish Linklater, following a murder.

The episode saw Preston’s titular character getting close to someone at the precinct after they were arrested, learning that they received an organ donation, and how sometimes the recipient can take on the characteristics of the donor. Long story short, Wagner basically tells her not to befriend criminals, but Elsbeth finding other people in said criminal’s group who have also received an organ donation ultimately tied back to the case of the week.

At this point, Preston said she is still surprised by Elsbeth “every day” no matter what she does, even if it means finding unconventional methods to solve a case. “I’ll come in in the morning, and I’ll be tired. I’ll be sort of dealing with a lot of things and a lot of juggling that has to happen to do this job. And then as soon as I get into the scene and I start saying the words and I start thinking how she thinks, it pulls me out of anything that was bothering me in a way,” she shared.

“She has that effect on me, and I hope that she has that effect on other people, just this willingness to get to know everything,” Preston continued. “And be curious about everything. And what if that’s how you lived your life and what that has got to make your life more interesting. It’s a real philosophy of life, and I think it’s infectious. That always surprises me.”

Elsewhere in the midseason premiere, Elsbeth got closer to New York mayoral candidate Alec Bloom (Ivan Hernandez), even despite discovering in the fall finale that he may not be who he says he is. After having a meeting together, Teddy eventually catches them in the act, and it’s not very pleasant. Considering Teddy is still suspicious about him, things will be complicated.

“There’s something very magnetic about him and charming about him,” Preston explained. “Not only is Elsbeth intrigued by him, the whole city of New York is intrigued by him, and his leadership skills are undeniable and he is committed to trying to make this relationship work, and Elsbeth is obviously very attracted to him.”

“Not just him physically, he’s very handsome. But also his kindness and where he came from and what he wants to do with in this city that she loves,” she said. “So, I think she’s willing to trust him and give him the benefit of the doubt.”

There will surely be a lot more to come from Elsbeth and Alec, and Preston couldn’t help but praise her scene partner. “Ivan is a very generous actor,” she expressed. “He’s very kind. It’s very easy to work with him. He’s very prepared, open, all those things that you want in a scene partner. I like doing our scenes together. The scenes are usually very beautifully written. And Ivan has to do a lot with very little because the episodes are really about the murder of the week, and he comes in for a few things. And so I feel like he’s made a great character, and that speaks to the writers and also to him.”

Speaking of partners, since Carra Patterson departed ahead of Season 3 as a series regular, the series has been giving Elsbeth rotating officers and detectives each episode. And while it’s been fun seeing who she works with and who comes back, will she ever have a regular partner again after Kaya?

“None of us wanted to replace Kaya, and that’s a very special relationship,” Preston said. “And so when we got to the point where we needed to continue to do the cases, we needed Elsbeth to have an entrée onto the crime scene. She can’t just show up. She’s not a uniformed officer. She’s not a detective. So, I think what ended up happening was good for the show and that we got to create new characters and deepen the talent pool at the precinct. And that makes the show, I think, feel richer and fuller. And I hope that we’ll be able to continue to do that, but also, we love Carra, and we love the character of Kaya.”

If anything, fans have not seen the last of Kaya, who was doing an undercover op the last time we saw her earlier in the season. “She’s with us right now in this current episode that we’re shooting,” Preston revealed. “And so it’s wonderful having her back, and that always is something that injects the show with some nostalgia and some love between the two of them that makes the show, I think, tender when she’s back.”

It seems like there will be a lot to look forward to in the second half of this season, and there is no telling what will be in store. It’s clear that the surprises won’t be stopping, so fans will just have to tune in on Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS to see what happens next on Elsbeth.